Broken Age - Double Fine's Kickstarter Adventure Game

[Bubbles]

I don't argue that on a gameplay level Daedalic's games are much more adventure gamey, than Broken Age. As for better looking? Meh, to each their own? Daedalic's games have standard cartoon fare graphics

You can argue that Daedalic's games look like Eurotrash shovelware, but they definitely have their own set of styles for their series. It's hard to imagine any other game than CoS/Memoria looking like this:

Spoiler

 

[Visbhume]

Since when do the management practices or business models of a company determine their legitimacy, or the perception of their games? What about those assholes that spend years making their games for free? Are they somehow sullying Double Fine's reputation, or cheating somehow?

If I learnt that a game company ritually sacrificed virgins in order to build the perfect RPG, I would probably wait for a Steam sale, instead of buying the game at full price.

As for the slaving assholes, they get to keep all the money in the extremely unlikely case their game sells. Not so with the proverbial intern.

No idea of what's the real situation at Daedalic, though.

 

[almondblight]

80% of the people in the company working on 5-6 month internships? A 20 person team only having 4 stable members, losing 3 members each month and training 3 new ones? Either: 1.This is complete BS 2. Most of the work their is super-simplistic "put the red files in drawer A and the blue ones in drawer B" type stuff or 3. They have some super manager there that'd run circles around any manager I've ever met in my life.

 

[Pyke]

I know the guys at Daedalic and while I'm not sure about their internal business practices they are a company that has been operating for 7 years and created numerous titles in that time. Keeping a company independent, creating original IP's for that about of time is no mean feat. It would be impossible for them to run as long as they have without having their systems working like a finely tuned machine.

They have also (up to recently) been focused on ONLY creating Adventure Games. That means that for 7 years they have put systems in place to create 1 genre of game. As you do something more and more you get more efficient at it.

If this was Double Fines 11'th Adventure Game in 7 years I have no doubt that their processes to create it would be a lot more efficient.

 

[tuluse]

And unpaid internships suck, but they're normal in Germany. Might as well shame Bioware for not offering full dental.

What the fuck man.

Firstly, EA has one of the better benefit packages in the industry. Including things like health care for significant others (regardless of martial status).

Secondly, EA actually, you know, pays the people working on their games so if they need/want dental they can use that money to get it.

I know you schtick is to subtly troll consistently, but you're going too far here. Using unpaid internships to do work on a product is unethical. In the US, it is actually borderline illegal. EA does get called out all the time on their own employment practices and how they are unethical. Which means the entire post is a straw man.

Is Stasis expected to get $900k+ from external sources? Their Kickstarter budget is only a third of the average Daedalic game. They're using the same engine, incidentally.

Do Daedelic interns get profit sharing?


Fuck you.

 

[Haba]

The "unpaid" internships are not unpaid in Germany. In the study-related internships they receive allowance, in the other cases there is legislation that forces the receiving company to pay a salary. Money wise it is practically slave labour, but in Germany you _can_ live with it, even (or especially) in Berlin.

And it is cheaper to develop games in Eurostania, with or without interns.

 

[Bubbles]

There's still plenty of proper unpaid internships around, but you can go on the dole, which reportedly affords a very generous life style, reminiscent of the last days of Rome.

You'll notice when unpaid internships are outlawed because all the German newspapers will shut down and every major cultural event will be canceled. Cutural festivals often have a 80-90% quota of completely unpaid intern workers here, but you don't see the internet going nuts about that.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I won't be giving any money to Tim Schafer again. Broken Age was supposed to be an old school adventure game, but it seemed to me to be the complete opposite.

 

[suejak]

80% of the people in the company working on 5-6 month internships? A 20 person team only having 4 stable members, losing 3 members each month and training 3 new ones? Either: 1.This is complete BS 2. Most of the work their is super-simplistic "put the red files in drawer A and the blue ones in drawer B" type stuff or 3. They have some super manager there that'd run circles around any manager I've ever met in my life.

Nobody knows if the 80% figure is correct, but I would be surprised if the average development cycle at Daedalic is much longer than 6 months. The German version of the first Deponia came out in Jan 2012, Chaos on Deponia in Nov 2012, and Goodbye Deponia in Oct 2013. In the meantime, they also made two Dark Eye games (June 2012 and Aug 2013) and Night of the Rabbit (May 2013).

 

[Zewp]

33% off. That didn't take long at all.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/232790/

 

[Bubbles]

I'll buy it for 66% off at Easter.

 

[Metro]

Considering they were selling it on Kickstarter for $15 it isn't surprising. Especially when the game had more appeal as an unknown versus a 'finished' product.

 

[suejak]

Sure is selling well, though. Still in the top 10, and Steam ranks by revenue.

 

[PlanHex]

Sure is selling well, though. Still in the top 10, and Steam ranks by revenue.

It's got a constant spot on the front page showing off its discount and it's still not selling as well as Walking Dead S2 at the same price and discount.
Though to be fair I'd guess Walking Dead has more brand recognition.

 

[Pyke]

I really really hope they do well. Like it or not, Broken Age is keeping Adventure Games at the forefront of game news.

 

[Curious_Tongue]

I really really hope they do well. Like it or not, Broken Age is keeping Adventure Games at the forefront of game news.

That's why I'm watching this game.

If this is a success, it might pave the way for a real (Sierra) click and point adventure.

 

[markec]

I really really hope they do well. Like it or not, Broken Age is keeping Adventure Games at the forefront of game news.

That's why I'm watching this game.

If this is a success, it might pave the way for a real (Sierra) click and point adventure.

Just like every single game Obsidian made paved a way for old school RPG.

 

[Curious_Tongue]

Meh

 

[Bubbles]

Just like every single game Obsidian made paved a way for old school RPG.

They just made their first turn based RPG, which also happens to be their most commercially successful and most critically acclaimed game yet. So yeah, it's a good example.

 

[suejak]

Yeah, I was worried for a while about whether the public likes JRPGs. Hopefully we can get a ton of those on the market now that Obsidian has released South Park.

 

[Bubbles]

Being developed in California doesn't automatically make a game a jRPG.

 

[mindx2]

I really really hope they do well. Like it or not, Broken Age is keeping Adventure Games at the forefront of game news.

That's why I'm watching this game.

If this is a success, it might pave the way for a real (Sierra) click and point adventure.

 

[markec]

Just like every single game Obsidian made paved a way for old school RPG.

They just made their first turn based RPG, which also happens to be their most commercially successful and most critically acclaimed game yet. So yeah, it's a good example.

You do know turn based doesnt automatically translate to old school just like having a 2D graphics doesnt make a old school adventure game, and after 10 years of waiting of my spiritual successor of Arcanum I got South Park instead. It looks like ill be waiting another 10 years for a old school RPG from Obsidian and with little hope Ill get turn based Family Guy RPG.

 

[Bubbles]

Family Guy probably won't exist in 10 years. Simpsons RPG is much more likely.

 

[J_C]

Interesting reveal from Double Fine: